The Little Angel Gift Shop at Church of the Nativity in Burke
was low on inventory after the 12:45 p.m. Mass Jan. 4.
Christmas trees once covered with religious-themed Christmas
ornaments were nearly bare, with just a few ribbons clinging
to the empty branches. Shelves that held medals, missals and
rosaries had just a few leftovers, while shoppers looked for
deals on the clearance table.
Parishioner Rosemary Bishop bought a large cross that she
found on one of the tables.
“I love shopping here,” she said. “There are so many
beautiful things.”
But shop manager Natacha Hines said that low inventory is
normal after the Advent and Christmas rush. She’ll soon be
reordering from her supplier. She said that besides
Christmas, confirmation and first Communion bring in a lot of
customers. In fact Hines, an accomplished seamstress, makes
Communion veils for the shop. Her sewing skills came in handy
recently when she patched a large hole in Father
Robert C. Cilinski’s alb. She was able to match the
pattern perfectly.
The Little Angel Gift Shop was founded in 1988 by parishioner
Fay Zumasky, who saw it as a way to raise money for the
parish. She started to sell items from glass cases by the
entrance to the sacristy. The pastor gave Zumasky a little
corner of what was then the multipurpose room. That corner
became the current gift shop.
In 2007, the person managing the shop left the area, leaving
no one to run things.
According to Hines,
Father Richard B. Martin, who was then pastor, said “If
no one takes it over we’ll have to shut it down.”
Hines, who had worked at the shop since 1988, took over
managing the operation.
Father Martin expanded the shop and added a fair trade area
with coffee and chocolate grown by small farmers in
developing nations who receive a fair price for the labor.
The shop is open daily after every Mass. Hines has nearly 20
volunteers who come to the store to manage retail sales. She
likes to have three people in the shop to serve customers.
Therese Malambri and Cristina Yelicie were helping Hines
after the late Mass Jan. 4. People came in to say hello and
to wish the volunteers a happy New Year and shop.
Malambri says she loves working at Little Angel and adds a
bit of professional experience to the mix having worked in
retail for many years.
“It’s my little touch of retailing,” she said of her time in
the gift shop.
The shop has many repeat customers who have been shopping
there for years.
Hines said that working in the shop is fun and exciting and
she hopes it will continue to be a valuable service to the
parishioners. Father Cilinski plans to remodel the front of
the church where the shop is. But Hines believes it will have
a place after the renovation.
The shop continues to thrive after Father Cilinski became
pastor following the death of Father Martin last year.
“Our wonderful volunteers make the gift shop an
‘evangelization zone’ promoting faith in so many ways,” said
Father Cilinski.
Borowski can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter
@DBorowskiACH
